Lawsuit seeks to block funding for Little Caesars Arena

Little Caesars Arena Construction site in downtown, with a newly minted Pistons banner.

Tyler Scott
/ Michigan Radio

A federal lawsuit seeks to block some public funding of Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and a new Detroit Pistons headquarters without a vote from city residents.

The lawsuit Thursday says Michigan law prohibits spending school property tax revenue on the projects because a tax voters approved in 2012 was to be used exclusively for Detroit's public schools.

The arena, which will be home to the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and the NBA's Pistons, opens this fall. The Ilitch family, which owns the Red Wings, is financing most of the project, which is expected to cost a total of $862 million.

The lawsuit was filed by activist Robert Davis and D. Etta Wilcoxon, who is running for City Clerk.

The Detroit Downtown Development Authority, a public entity involved in the project, says it will review the lawsuit and respond accordingly.

DETROIT (AP) - The return of professional basketball to downtown Detroit adds another piece to the city's fast-paced economic rebound two years out of bankruptcy, but some say all neighborhoods have to share in the turnaround.

The Pistons are expected to start next season at Little Caesars Arena, which is the centerpiece of a coming 50-block entertainment district in a part of downtown that's already nearly at capacity with new residents and new businesses.